Why Use A Snow Goose Hunting Guide

Snow Goose Hunting is an awesome waterfowl hunting adventure for the beginner, the never have beens, and the ultimate die hards. It is a one of a kind experience you can't get from any other waterfowl hunting adventure. So, why use a snow goose hunting guide? Well the answer is both simple and complex. But, the reality is that it is probably best to put your faith in a snow goose hunting guide or snow goose hunting outfitter if you are looking at trying it out.

Snow Goose Hunting, and what is it really?

Snow goose hunting is by far and away one of the toughest waterfowl hunting you can do and also possibly the most rewarding depending on who you talk to. It is miles upon miles of travel and scouting, mornings and evenings of preperation, and hours upon hours of watching weather patterns and much more in between. Snow goose hunting entails large decoy spreads, mobility, and in some cases lots of shooting, or in others not so much. The big draw for snow goose hunting is the shear numbers. Since snow geese move and feed in such large quantities it can make for some of the most unbelievable gunning action with thousands of snow geese dropping into your laps can be just unexplanable at times. There just isn't another waterfowl hunting experience that brings the same experience with swarms and tornados of snow geese.

Snow Goose Hunting, and when is the best time?

Snow Goose hunting is open all season long in all of the major flyways through-out the fall and winter but the best time to get in on the action of snow goose hunting is in the spring. The spring snow goose season offers in my opinion the best option for hunting snow geese because of the ability to use E-Callers and also be able to use magazine extension tubes on your shotguns. Along with the added benefit of the E-Callers and magazine extensions the snow geese during the spring migration back north just tend to stack up in larger numbers and are not as spread out as they can be in the fall giving you better opportunities for migrating snow geese in larger numbers.

Snow Goose Hunting and Where to go?

Snow Goose hunting can be done in a variety of locations through-out the US and Canada in all 4 major flyways, but there are probably a few locations that are known for their great snow goose hunting action. In the US starting in the Central and Mississippi Flyways the most productive places to hunt snow geese are Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, & South Dakota. In the Pacific Flyway the most productive places would be Washington and California. In the Atlantic Flyway your best snow goose hunting locations can be found in Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland

In the Canadian Provinces your Most productive snow goose hunting is going to be found in Saskatchewan and Alberta for the Central and Mississippi Flyways, and in Eastern Ontario for the Atlantic Flyway. The snow geese are plentiful in these areas during the spring and they can put on quite a show.

Snow Goose Hunting and Why Use a Guide?

So, why use a guide? Well there are a multitude of reasons but the reality and the main reason is experience, time, and money. If, you have all of them then don't worry about booking a snow goose hunt with a guide or a snow goose hunting outfitter. If, you don't have any of them then I highly suggest giving an outfitter a call. With snow goose hunting it is not as easy as going out and hunting canadas or ducks, the biggest issue is if you go into a scenerio hunting like that you will almost undoubtadly come out of it frustrated and or wanting to sell everything.

Snow goose hunting even to the most experienced will make you want to pull your hair out and in order to be consistantly successful you need to have a large amount of equipment to use which in turn costs a lot of money. So, if you have enough money to go out and drop the cash on the gear needed to hunt snow geese then by all means have at it. but, if it is something you are interested in trying before going all in then hiring a snow goose hunting guide or snow goose hunting outfitter will help you at least see what its all about and give you a sense of what it might look like to you in order to stay successful over all and then you didn't waste all the time, energy, and money on all the gear only to decide it was a complete waste of time and have to turn around and hock it all off and loose money. We have seen a lot of people in the past 10-15 years go in and do just that and ultimately after about 2-3 years of chasing snow geese they start to loose interest and then turn around and sell off their gear.

If, after you have spent time with a guide and you decide you like snow goose hunting and want to keep at it. Hiring a guide is still far and away cheaper over all then getting your own gear, dealing with the scouting, dealing with land leases, finding lodging, finding food, and finding all of them in conjuction with each other. Hunting snow geese is a very in-depth process and if you are not local to a location that holds snow geese and or snow geese migrate through then you are stuck having to travel to those areas and spend a good amount of time scouting and learning every year and it takes time to go into these areas and build relationships with land owners, figure out flight patterns, and roosting areas, and all the other aspects that go into running down snow geese year in and year out. Again this all goes back to money and it takes a good amount of money to continually devote to the year in and year out expenses that come along with it all.

Snow Goose Hunting and Booking a Guided Hunt?

If, you do decide to get out after the snow geese in the spring or regular waterfowl hunting seasons and are wanting to find a quality snow goose hunting guide or snow goose hunting outfitter the best thing I can suggest is make sure to speak with the outfitter or owner of the snow goose hunting outfit and find out who they are, how they hunt, and how long they have been hunting. This can go along way in giving you a leg up. Because the reality of it is that even after all of that you can still ultimatly go in and have a miserable experience. With snow goose hunting the biggest factor to your success overall is weather and timing. No matter what there are going to be times you go with an outfitter and are going to draw the short end of the stick it just happens and it is out of anyones control but, if you get to know a snow goose hunting guide or outfitter and ask qualifying questions you should be able to pick out the ones that have a good sense of what they are manageing and how to really get after the snow geese during the spring snow goose season or even the regular waterfowl hunting season.

Hiring a Snow Goose Hunting Guide or Outfitter, and Things To Be Aware Of

There are a few things that can help you with the selection of a snow goose hunting outfitter. Below is a list of things that you should be aware of when booking a snow goose hunt and things that should be red flags as well.

• Do They Have a Website?
  If the snow goose hunting guide or snow goose hunting outfitter doesn't have a website this could be a sure fire sign that you are asking for trouble. This stuff costs money to maintain and keep current those that do not have one kind of signal that they either have not been in it long or they don't know if they will be in it long. Those that have websites are usually established and have been in it for a considerable amount of time.
• Does their website have Information to Back up what they offer?
  Again, this kind of goes back to the first one if there is no website and or if the information on their website just doesn't match what they suggest then safe to say they are not a great choice
• Does their website have a gallery and does the gallery sustain productivity?
  If, there website doesn't have an image gallery that might be a big red flag. How, can they prove they have any sort of success without productivity proof of pictures. Everyone likes a good pile pic and if there is none to be found on a website or social media page then steer clear.
• Do they only have a facebook page?
  If, they only have a facebook page and nothing else this is another good sign that they either are new to the game or they just don't know if they will be around or not much longer. those that have skin in the game are almost undoubtadly going to produce better results 98% of the time. If, they dont have anything it would be wise to take a look else where.
• Are they active on social media with posting and images?
  If, their social media account is there but has no activity from pictures, to posts, to information about the season or previous seasons. another good indicator to steer clear. Proof is in the pudding as they say. Without proof of anything your probably going to regret a hunt with them.
• Do they have a Google Business Listing? or Bing Business Listing?
  If, Again proof is in the pudding reputable businesses are on the interenet trying to stay relavent and get more hunters for every season to sustain a business. If, they don't have a business listing thats a big red flag these are free and if you have a website is a must for your business to stay relavant.
• Have they been in business for more than 5-10 years
  If, they are new to the game and have only been in business for a short time that does not necessarily mean they are not going to be able to provide a good hunting opportunity. But, when hiring someone for as snow goose hunting experience usually the ones that have been in it the longest have a leg up on the new outfitters. Again that doesnt mean that the newer outfitters wont produce but the experience is always a bonus for those who are looking for success in anything really.
• Do they chase snow geese or do they only hunt 1 field all season long?
  If, they only hunt one field and do not move and only have one field for an option then you are only going to get what you get and your reducing your opportunity. However in some cases this is a viable option however in majority of scenrios maybe better look else where.
• Do your hunts include a guide?
  If, they only drop you off to the field and let you fend for yourself that is fine if that is what you are signing up for and what you wanted. but, there have been countless stories of hunters showing up for a snow goose hunt only to find out they are on their own when it comes to the actual hunting. Make sure up front you know what you are getting into before showing up to your hunt. You know if they are not out there day in and day out then they are only there to collect on the field rental and have no idea how to hunt snow geese.
• What is the Cost of the hunt?
  Cost should be a huge red flag. Snow goose hunting is not cheap whether you are paying a guide or you are the guide. Gear, Insurance, Field Leases, Gas, Food, Lodging, Guide Pay, and many many unexpecteds are just a few of the expenses and they add up overtime so if someone is charging a very cut rate price on a snow goose hunt then be very aware! If, they are charging very small fees it only is possible if they are cutting back on any of the aformentioned expenses and to be consistantly successful at snow goose hunting then it is really hard to skimp on those expenses and come out ahead in any way shape or form.
• What are the Hunt Conditions and Hunting Expectations?
  Find out ahead of time what your hunting conditions are, any policies, and or what to expect for your hunt experience. If, a snow goose hunting outfitter or guide can not tell you what to expect then they obviously have no idea what to expect themselves. If, they try to tell you to expect to shoot a case of shells or expect to fill a pickup bed daily then that is a huge red flag. If, they give it to you straight and not blow smoke then you are going in with realistic expectations and and outfitter who isn't going to sugar coat anything. Those that do be aware!
• What gear do they use and prefer?
  Knowing what kind of gear that is being used is a great way to find out what to expect from a hunt and get a sense of what has been put in for the hunting experience. Let's be real if an outfitter doesn't have quality gear then they can not be making enough money to put back into the business or they are not putting any money back into their business. to be successful at snow goose hunting you have to have good quality gear. stay clear of those who have old outdated or even just very little gear at all.
• Do they have liability insurance?
  This is a big tell all, If, the snow goose hunting outfitter or snow goose hunting guide does not have liability insurance and or any sort of insurance then you absolutely should not hunt with them it shows a total lack of interest in their own well being as well as yours. Stay clear of those who do not have insurance and or want to spend the money to run an operation the proper way.